


love is all around

by MegTheMighty



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Christmas Vibes, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Happy Endings For Everyone, Inspired by Love Actually, Modern AU, attempts at humor, romcom tropes galore, self indulgent content only
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegTheMighty/pseuds/MegTheMighty
Summary: With Christmas approaching in Central City, seven intertwined romances develop with complications and misunderstandings abound. Coworkers, friends, strangers, and spouses all try to survive the total agony of being in love while getting into the holiday spirit.An FMA/Love Actually AU
Relationships: Denny Brosh/Maria Ross, Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes, Izumi Curtis/Sig Curtis, Olivier Mira Armstrong/Miles, Rebecca Catalina/Jean Havoc, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 34
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Christmas and I love romcoms, so Love Actually has always been one of my favorites. And with how much I love FMA, I had to make an AU inspired by it! Knowledge of the movie isn't that important, but I highly recommend it if you're a cheesy romance person
> 
> I tried to connect the characters with a storyline that suited them as well, but also made a lot of alterations in certain cases for the sake of happy endings and staying in character :) I hope it stays true to the spirit of the original while also serving all my self-indulgent needs lol
> 
> Happy reading!

Roy cringed as he heard another bottle of champagne pop behind him. Maes and Gracia had already been very generous to their guests with the cocktail hour and open bar, but as the best man, he was hoping the wedding wouldn’t spiral into a complete drunken spectacle. 

The venue was gorgeous, of course. The Hughes family pulled out all the stops with one of the nicest hotels in Central City, glamorous decorations, and excessive amounts of delicious food. It seemed as though the chandeliers hanging from the ballroom’s ceiling had been shined extra specially that day, just to gleam down on the happy couple. 

The newlyweds were too busy smashing cake into each other’s faces and sneaking off to make out to notice Roy’s discontent. He was thrilled for his best friend, but he couldn’t find much pleasure in the romantic atmosphere. It just felt wrong when he was alone, missing the one person he wanted to invite.

In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that Riza already had plans. Bringing his assistant as his date to a wedding would certainly draw attention, and not the kind that he wanted right before announcing a political campaign. His romantic ambitions would have to wait. 

“Champagne, sir?” a brunette waitress asked. She was holding the tray of glasses right in front of him, and he was suddenly very tempted to take one and drink it all in one gulp. 

“No, thank you,” Roy replied politely. Making a drunken fool of himself wouldn’t do either, even if it would let him forget his inconvenient feelings for a night. Instead, he would be stuck daydreaming in the corner.

The waitress moved on, flitting between groups of guests to offer them drinks and a kind smile. She eventually made it to the front of the room, where the bridal party was supposed to be seated.

“Rebecca!”

She turned toward the sound of her name and saw Maria waving from the bride and groom’s table. She slipped by another few guests to approach her friend, who was sitting at the table alone, decked out in a bridesmaid dress she would probably never wear again with her short hair slicked back stylishly.

“Hey Maria, you look great,” she greeted. “Champagne?”

Maria smiled back. “I probably shouldn’t, bridesmaid duties have been keeping me busy tonight.”

“I’ve been there before,” Rebecca laughed. “Luckily, I won’t be a bridesmaid again for years at this rate, since you and my best friend are both chronically single.”

“It’s by choice,” Maria huffed. “And you’re one to talk, when was the last time you were in a relationship?”

She frowned for a moment to think, but quickly leaned down conspiratorially. “Actually, I’ve had my eye on one of the chefs all night.”

“Hookups don’t count,” Maria insisted. “Either way, I need a break from the men in Central City. Maybe I should use up all my vacation time and travel a bit before the end of the year.”

“That’s a fantastic idea!” Rebecca swung her arms open for emphasis, almost spilling half the drinks on her tray.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Rebecca said. “You deserve the time off, and maybe you’ll find a hot Xingese guy along the way.”

Maria laughed and shook her head at Rebecca’s suggestive wink. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good, now I should get back to work,” she replied. “Thanks again for getting me this job tonight, I really need the money before Christmas.”

“It’s no problem,” she waved off. “I need to get back to holding up Gracia’s dress while she pees anyway. Izumi will kill me if she has to do all the dirty work herself.”

Rebecca giggled and quickly disappeared back into the crowd. The amount of couples on the dancefloor only seemed to grow as the night went on, leaving Maria at her table alone in contrast. She took another bite of the chocolate cake, savoring the rich flavor and soft texture. Despite Rebecca’s teasing, she didn’t mind attending the wedding by herself. It was enough to be surrounded by friends, even if she did long for the same kind of love that Maes and Gracia shared.

An abrupt buzzing startled her out of her thoughts. Maria glanced over at her purse to make sure her phone wasn’t going off, but a light from across the table caught her eye. One of the groomsmen’s phones was ringing loudly with no one around to answer. 

Maria stepped around to the opposite side, trying to recall whose phone it could be based on the seating. It was likely Roy’s, but she wasn’t sure what to do. They had only met earlier that week and hardly spoke. Still, the call could be important.

She looked around and saw him standing near one of the buffet tables back where Rebecca had come from. Figuring she wouldn’t be interrupting anything since he was alone, she grabbed the device and set off toward him.

“Hey Roy,” Maria called as she got closer. He didn’t seem to hear her as he looked off into the room, his head miles away.

“Roy,” she repeated louder, finally drawing his attention. 

“Sorry, is something wrong?” he asked. Roy shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to bring himself back into the moment.

“Your phone was ringing. I didn’t see who it was, but I thought it might be important,” she said.

“Oh, thanks,” he replied, quickly taking it off her hands.

Roy barely spared Maria another glance as he looked down at the missed call: Riza Hawkeye. He immediately dialed her back and waited impatiently for her to pick up.

 _“Hello?”_ her voice answered through the phone.

“Hey Riza, I’m so sorry I missed your call,” he said a little too eagerly. “What can I do for you?”

 _“I’m sorry to interrupt your night off, but I’ve just been stuck at the office for hours and need your authorization for some paperwork,”_ she explained. _“It’s supposed to be turned in before Monday and I didn’t want us to fall behind schedule.”_

“Oh, I see,” he replied with a frown. _Didn’t she say she had plans tonight?_

“Unfortunately, I think the documents for the Prime Minister need my signature,” Roy sighed. “I’ll have to go in tomorrow and take care of it.”

 _“Do you need me to come in as well?”_ Riza asked.

Roy cringed, knowing the answer was yes but not wanting to inconvenience her. “Well, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble…”

_“I’ll see you tomorrow morning then. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”_

“You too, Riza,” he replied, cringing again at his response. Of course she wasn’t going to enjoy her evening, she was still working and had to wake up early the next day. Roy slipped the phone into his pocket, already berating himself. 

“God, could I have been any more awkward?” he muttered.

“Probably not,” a voice called behind him.

Suddenly, Maes’ hand was clapped on Roy’s shoulder as the groom laughed. “You know, you should have just invited her and saved us all from your misery. I need to meet this woman.”

Roy shrugged his friend’s hand off and stepped away. “That was a work call, nothing more.”

“Yeah and she’s your assistant, nothing more,” Maes teased. “I’ve heard all the excuses, Roy. You just won’t admit you’re too scared to ask her out.”

“That’s not-”

 _“And,”_ Maes interrupted, “Riza isn’t going to wait around forever. If she’s as great as you say, she’ll find someone else.”

“First of all, it would be entirely inappropriate,” Roy defended. “Second, it’s not worth ruining a great friendship over.”

Maes rolled his eyes. “Sometimes a great friendship turns into a great relationship, or even more like Gracia and me. I have to say, marriage is pretty damn good so far.”

Roy rolled his eyes in return, knowing the groom would be riding the high of marriage for the next two weeks on his honeymoon, then probably the rest of his life onward. 

“Why don’t you just go find your wife so I can slip out early? I have work to do in the morning.”

* * *

Riza groaned as her alarm interrupted the peaceful silence of her bedroom. She was usually a morning person, but needing to go into work again after getting home less than eight hours prior, and on a Saturday no less, was just insulting. Her sleep hadn’t even been particularly restful since the unfinished paperwork was weighing on her mind, not to mention the less-than-quiet hookup across the hall. 

Her clothes were already laid out in preparation for the day and Riza pulled them on quickly, not bothering with a morning shower. She could smell something from the kitchen downstairs, maybe bacon and sausages, and was shocked it wasn’t burning. Rebecca was a notoriously poor cook, but Riza would welcome the opportunity to eat a quick breakfast with her flatmate before leaving. 

After brushing her teeth and hastily pulling back her hair, Riza descended the stairs. Her eyes widened as she turned toward the kitchen and found a man, standing there in only his boxers, in front of the stovetop. A plate of bacon and toast was already resting on the counter while he seemed to be flipping pancakes while humming contentedly to himself.

“Excuse me,” she called, not knowing how else to approach the stranger in her house.

He jerked around, almost dropping his spatula. 

“Oh um, hi,” the man greeted. 

“Hello.” Riza raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate. She assumed he was the same man making lots of noise next door the previous night, but just in case, she was also armed with pepper spray.

“I’m Jean, I guess Rebecca is still asleep,” he explained. “I figured I would make breakfast, since it’s the least I could do, you know?” 

“I guess,” Riza agreed, trying not to look directly at him. His completely bare chest was very distracting, though she had to admit it was pretty impressive. Rebecca had good taste.

“Feel free to grab whatever you like, what’s mine is yours,” he insisted. “And I guess it was already yours, because I took the ingredients from your kitchen…” 

“Yeah, thanks,” she replied, grabbing a piece of toast. “I was just on my way out. Could you let Rebecca know that I’m heading to work for a few hours? She’ll have to let my dog out.”

“Sure, no problem,” Jean said. “And…I hate to ask this, but…Rebecca’s not already seeing anyone, is she?” 

Riza blinked in surprise. She wondered if he was planning to ask her friend out, or if he was just concerned about getting in the middle of an existing relationship. Either way, he was much more considerate than a typical hookup.

“She’s single, no need to worry,” Riza reassured. “It was nice meeting you.”

Jean waved as she grabbed her bag and headed out the front door. He turned back to the stove, transferring the last few pancakes onto a plate. His whole breakfast spread was pretty great, but he worried Rebecca would sleep in too long to enjoy it. He wasn’t planning on going home with anyone the night before, so he already made plans for the day.

He didn’t have to worry for long. A few minutes later, footsteps sounded on the staircase and Rebecca drowsily wandered into the kitchen. 

“Good morning,” he said hesitantly.

“Oh hey,” she replied. “I heard the door a little bit ago and figured that was you leaving.”

“No, your roommate said she had to go into work,” he explained. “I didn’t want to just skip out on you this morning.”

Rebecca nodded, but there was something strange in her expression. _Would she have preferred if I left?_ he wondered.

“Typical, off to see her stupid boss,” she muttered to herself. “Well all this food looks delicious, I’m convinced you’re an excellent chef.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

They sat down to eat in an awkward silence. Rebecca’s fork scraped across the plate with an unpleasant noise, but that was the only sound to fill the room. Jean’s foot tapped absentmindedly against his chair as he tried to think of what to say to the woman across from him. 

“So last night was great,” he blurted out. 

Rebecca looked up with a slight smile. “I tend to agree.”

“I’m glad,” he chuckled before growing a bit more serious. “But I also wanted to say…I’m really not in the right place for a relationship right now. I just got out of one where I was cheated on and I don’t want to get mixed up in a doomed rebound mess.”

“Oh.”

“It’s really nothing against you at all, the sex really was great.”

Rebecca took a long swig of her coffee. She didn’t usually do morning after breakfasts, much less relationship conversations. She set the mug down again, the ceramic clattering against the wood table slightly.

“I agree about the sex. And that’s totally fine, I’m not really looking for a relationship either,” she said. “I’m sorry about the whole cheating ordeal though, you seem like a good guy.”

“Thanks, and no worries, I’m alright now,” Jean nodded. “I should probably be going now that I’ve made everything awkward.”

He moved to stand, suddenly realizing he was still only dressed in his boxers. A sheepish smile crossed his lips and Rebecca laughed lightly.

“If you’ve got time, we could go for one more round,” she shrugged. “Purely casually.”

Deciding to briefly forget about Miles and their plans, Jean nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

Roy was already sitting at his desk when Riza walked in. He offered her a quick smile and stood to meet her at his office door. 

“I’m so sorry you had to come in on a Saturday,” he apologized. “I just can’t seem to manage without you, Riza.”

Riza sent him a wry smile in return as she shrugged her coat off. “It’s alright, I really don’t mind.”

They settled into their work easily, with Riza organizing the files and giving them to Roy to review and sign. It was the job she had been doing for almost two years with no promotion or change, though she rarely complained. She didn’t mind working for Roy; in fact, she minded so little that she was worried it was all too obvious how she felt about him. He wasn’t as handsome as the men Rebecca went on dates with, nor as smart and rich as the ones her grandfather tried to introduce her to. He still managed to be the best out of all of them.

Roy set his pen down softly and looked over at her. “Didn’t you have plans last night?” he asked quietly.

Riza’s eyebrows drew together as she tried to figure out when she would have mentioned any plans. She recalled him casually asking a few weeks ago, but doubted he would have remembered.

“I was planning on going to an event with my friend, but she ended up getting a last minute gig. Everyone’s schedules are tight with Christmas coming up.”

“Right, of course,” he sighed, relieved that she hadn’t made up plans just to dodge his questions. It all worked out for the best since he got to see her now.

“God, what a selfish thought,” he muttered.

“What was that?” she called from her desk. Riza’s questioning look somehow combined her teasing skepticism and confidence perfectly, it almost made Roy’s heart skip a beat.

“Nothing, nothing,” he insisted. “I think we’ll be done here soon, if you’d like to grab an early lunch on me.”

Riza paused her writing, considering how appropriate that would be and whether she should accept. “Oh…yeah, that sounds-”

“What are you doing here over the weekend, Ms. Hawkeye?” a new voice called from the door.

Roy and Riza both whipped around to see Kimblee leading against the doorframe, an insufferable smirk splashed across his face.

“We’re just finishing up some work so we don’t get behind,” she answered simply.

“Good, Bradley’s a real stickler for deadlines. We wouldn’t want Mustang to fall out of his good graces before he gets to parliament,” he sneered.

“What exactly are you doing here, Kimblee?” Roy grumbled. He had never been a fan of the other man, barely tolerating him throughout their shared time in the Cabinet Office.

“I was just dropping off a speech for the Prime Minister to review. It seems like I’ve become one of his favorite advisors recently,” he answered. “You know, you should stop by my office sometime, Riza. I think you would be a great addition to my department and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing more of you.”

He waved a hand behind him as he slunk out of the office, leaving Roy and Riza to silently wait until the door closed behind him. Riza swallowed uneasily. She was no fan of Kimblee either, but Roy had a tendency to overreact to his antagonizing. It was better to let the man play whatever games he wanted and ignore him in her opinion.

“I should be going if you don’t need anything else,” she said hastily, breaking up the silence. “I’m not sure if I trust my flatmate to take care of Black Hayate while she’s distracted.”

Roy tried to discern what caused the sudden change from her expression, but found only a tight, polite smile on her lips. “But what about lunch?”

“Maybe another time,” she said, already gathering her things to leave. Riza pushed her chair into her desk, avoiding Roy’s searching eyes. She made it to the door before turning around briefly.

He could see words forming in her chest, and he waited for a moment, sure that she was going to say something. Roy couldn’t imagine why he expected some sort of confession or charming words, but he wanted nothing more in that moment.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” Riza said shortly, turning away and leaving him alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first hint at what's to come! 
> 
> Royai felt like a good match for David/Natalie, though I did alter it to be a bit less imbalanced and more like them. Jean and Rebecca are also inspired by John and Judy, though obviously their story is quite different since they're actually hooking up lol. Everyone else (or at least close to everyone) will be introduced in the next chapter!
> 
> Feel free to let me know what you think so far! I appreciate any comments and sharing in the Christmas joy of this fluffy fic :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't put this in the tags, but I just wanted to make sure everyone knows that this will reference canonical character deaths, in case that's an issue for anyone. I promise this isn't an angsty story, but some background is necessary to set some storylines up. As I said before, happy endings for everyone!

**Later That Day**

“I’m so grateful that you’re all able to join my family here,” Hohemheim announced. His voice was rough, as though he had to force it out. He was desperately trying to maintain some sense of quiet dignity despite how close he was to falling apart.

“I truly believe Trisha would have wanted us all together like this,” he continued. “In fact, she gave me quite an extensive list of things I had to do after she…”

He paused to swallow thickly, knowing all the eyes on him were looking on in sympathy.

“It’s funny actually. She insisted that I make a fool of myself at least once at her memorial, just so you would all know not much has changed,” he chuckled sadly. “So I guess at some point tonight I’ll do something clumsy or ridiculous, and maybe it will feel a bit reassuring.”

Soft, muted laughter filtered through the room.

“Trisha also wanted everyone to know that she…she was sorry she didn’t have longer. We made so many plans and promises that she wanted to keep. I can only try to uphold my end and honor her memory every day,” he finished. 

A few guests came forward to shake his hand and offer a few kind words, but he quickly excused himself. Tears had been leaking out of Al’s eyes for the past few minutes and he didn’t want him to be left alone. Hohenheim made it across the room easily and rested a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Would you like to go upstairs, Alphonse?” he asked softly. “It’s okay if that’s what you want to do.”

“No,” he sniffled in response. “I want to stay.”

The father sighed. He wasn’t sure how he would get through the day, but it was important to make sure his sons were alright—even if they insisted on struggling through the entire service.

“How about you sit with the Rockbells for a little bit? I’m sure they would like to talk with you,” he suggested. 

Al nodded silently and looked over to see the family sitting nearby. It was difficult not having any family from his _or_ Trisha’s side to help with the boys, but they were lucky to have trustworthy friends. Winry was sitting solemnly next to her parents, her legs swinging back and forth absentmindedly until she noticed Al. She managed a very small smile for him and patted the seat next to her. Hohenheim knew Al would be okay there for the time being.

“How are you holding up?” a woman asked from behind him.

Izumi was holding a glass of what he suspected was wine while offering a sympathetic look. He sighed.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “This doesn’t even feel real.”

“Why don’t we go sit down and talk?” she asked. It wasn’t much of a question because she was already nudging him toward the kitchen, where a few empty stools were waiting.

Izumi set her glass down and gestured for him to take a seat. “You know, I was at a wedding last night. My idiot brother’s best friend and one of my coworkers got married, so I was roped into being a bridesmaid.”

Hohenheim simply nodded, recalling her mentioning the event before. 

“It was nice,” she added. “My brother was making it seem like a funeral because he was there alone, but that’s beside the point. That couple is ridiculously in love, and I wouldn’t have agreed to be in the wedding if they weren’t.”

“You were in our wedding,” he said. “Trisha hardly had to beg you to be a bridesmaid.”

“Exactly. You two were ridiculously in love too.”

Silence settled over the moment as Hohenheim swallowed hard again, trying not to think about his wedding to Trisha. 

“My point is,” she continued, “I know how hard this must be. The pain of losing someone so special doesn’t just go away. Learning how to live without them might be the hardest thing you ever do. But even if that’s the case, once you’re able to do that, everything else seems so much easier.”

“That’s true,” he whispered. “But I’m not sure if I ever will.”

“Someday,” Izumi reassured. “You’ll get there.”

“Have you?”

Izumi laughed humorlessly and forced a wry smile. “I’m not sure, but at least I have Sig. He helps.”

Hohenheim frowned and tensed in his seat. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up-”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she promised. “It’s been a few years and I feel okay talking about it.”

“That’s good,” he said. “Have you and Sig talked any more about other options?”

“Not really,” she quickly replied. “This isn’t about me, though. You still have Ed and Al to take care of, and they might be the thing that gets you through this.”

He turned to look into the living room, spotting Al still seated next to Winry with Sarah and Yuriy speaking gently to them.

“I think Al is doing better than I expected. He expresses himself easier, so I always know what to do and what to say. He’s more receptive to it at least,” he observed. “Ed is completely different. I never know what’s going on in his head.”

“That’s just how kids are. My whole job is to understand them and teach them and it’s not easy,” Izumi said. “Try to find a way to bond with him. He probably wants that more than ever right now, even if he won’t admit it.”

“You’re right,” he said, “as usual. I’ll go see what he’s up to now.”

Hohenheim pressed his palms against the counter to stand up and turned to face the guests again. At least Izumi would talk to him straight—everyone else would tilt their head in pity and promise how sorry they were. That was probably the most tiring part of the day.

Ed was sitting in a corner with his nose buried in a book. That wasn’t entirely uncommon for him, but he had withdrawn into himself so much that day. His father hesitantly approached, hoping his son would be receptive to his company. 

“How are you feeling, Ed?” he asked.

“Not good.” He hardly looked up, feigning indifference, but his eyes were red and his face was puffy from crying.

“Would you like to go talk to Winry? That would be nice,” he suggested.

“Wha—no! Why would I go talk to her?” Ed suddenly demanded. Hohenheim looked down at him in confusion.

“Al is already over there, and I thought you might want some company,” he explained. “You can stay here if you prefer.”

“Oh, then I guess that’s okay,” he replied, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “I’ll go see what they’re doing.”

Feeling a bit hypocritical, Hohenheim took the seat his son had been in to have a bit of privacy. He just needed to rest, knowing his boys would be sufficiently distracted. He glanced over at the side table, taking note of the book Ed had been reading.

_Pride and Prejudice?_

One of the pages was dog-eared, which always bothered Hohenheim since there were readily-available bookmarks laying around the house. Still, his curiosity was intense. He wondered what might have caught his son’s attention in the book, and was quite surprised to see Mr. Darcy’s first proposal playing out on the page in front of him. He looked over toward his sons, noticing the elder’s awkward distance from their friend and general standoffishness.

“I guess I see the resemblance,” he chuckled to himself.

* * *

Miles pushed open the door to the bar and immediately recognized his friend. Jean was sitting at their usual table, intently staring at his phone. Usually he would already have drinks waiting for them, but he seemed uncommonly distracted that night.

“Hey man,” Miles greeted, finally earning his friend’s attention.

“Oh hey, sorry about earlier,” he replied, setting his phone down slowly. “Something came up, but we can definitely reschedule our hike.”

“It’s no problem, I actually went into the office earlier anyway.”

Jean quirked an eyebrow up at that. “So was the Ice Queen there?”

Miles frowned. “I told you we don’t work directly together anymore, _and_ you shouldn’t call her that.”

“So is that a no, or…?” Jean smirked, still trying to draw out an answer.

“No, Olivier wasn’t there,” he sighed. “The only person I saw was this guy we used to work with. If you want to make fun of someone for their relationship with a coworker, it should be him.”

“Oh? What’s his deal, sleeping with his assistant?” Jean asked. He turned to wave a server over and requested some drinks, deciding the office gossip would go best with some beers. 

“I doubt it, but he’s definitely in love with her,” Miles explained. 

“How does she feel about him?”

“Exactly the same.”

Jean hummed in response, wondering why he was suddenly so curious about this random guy’s office romance (or lack thereof).

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing by the way,” he said, giving Miles a meaningful look. “You’re deflecting the conversation away from Olivier.”

“I’m not,” he insisted. “It doesn’t matter either way, because she’s out of my league and I have too much professional respect for her, even if she’s not my boss anymore.”

Jean rolled his eyes, accepting the beer from their server and tipping his head back to take a long swig. “She’s not out of your league, you’re just scared.”

Miles sighed and took a sip of his own drink. He had to admit, he was a little scared. Olivier was an intimidating woman, regardless of how kind he knew she could be. He worked under her for three years and eventually managed to gain her trust and respect, so he didn’t want to lose it by asking her out. There was no way she would say yes. 

“Don’t think I don’t realize what _you’re_ doing either, Jean,” he added. “You still haven’t told me what happened this morning. Weren’t you working last night?”

That caused a moment of pause.

“Yeah, the restaurant had to cater a wedding,” he answered cautiously. “I ended up…going home with someone.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Miles asked. “You’re finally over Solaris.”

He raised his bottle in cheers and Jean reluctantly tapped it with his own. “I think I am, but I told her I wasn’t looking for a relationship.”

Miles almost choked as the beer was going down his throat. “Since when are you not looking for a relationship? You’ve had a girlfriend or were at least actively looking for one the entire time I’ve known you.”

“I know, but hasn’t that been the problem? I keep getting dumped by women I wasn’t even sure about in the first place because I rushed in,” he explained. “I just need some time to myself for a bit.”

Miles muttered a few words of doubt under his breath, but didn’t push the subject anymore. He couldn’t really judge, based on his own self-imposed solitude. He was actually proud that Jean was doing so much self-reflection, even if it was probably misguided. 

Jean was desperately trying to listen to his own advice and avoid checking his phone again. At some point during his overnight stay, Rebecca had added her number to his contacts. It seemed like an invitation to call her and meet up again, but he knew if he did, he would keep calling. 

_But hadn’t she also promised to keep things casual? Great sex doesn’t equal a relationship._

Their server came by again, leaving them with more beers and a changing conversation topic. They were both avid sports fans and decent athletes in their own right, so the upcoming championship rugby game (between their respective favorite teams) was hotly debated. Time passed quickly as the bottles began to clutter the table and both men were starting to feel the alcohol affect them.

“Are you up for a game of darts?” Jean asked.

“Sure,” Miles agreed amiably. “I’ll warn you though, I’m pretty good.”

They started to rise from the table when a loud ringtone filled their small corner of the room. Miles turned to see his phone lighting up urgently and he frowned apologetically. 

“Sorry, I really need to take this,” he said. Jean was already waving his apology away with a smile, letting Miles slip into the hallway containing the bathrooms to take the call.

“Hello?” he answered.

_“Miles? Is that you?”_

“Yes, Grandfather. It’s me,” he sighed, already running a hand through his light hair in stress. 

_“Where are you? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,”_ he complained through the phone. _“I miss you, Miles.”_

“It hasn’t been that long,” he reassured. “I was with you this morning, remember? I made you some tea and we ate breakfast together.”

_“I don’t…remember that, Miles. I’m not sure…”_

“It’s alright, Grandfather,” Miles promised softly. “Is Mary there with you? She can help you get ready to go to sleep.”

_“Who’s Mary?”_ he asked immediately. _“Miles, are you visiting me soon?”_

Miles let his hand fall against his side as a deep breath left his chest. “I’m on my way right now. I’ll see you soon, and we can read a little. I’ll make your favorite tea too, Grandfather.”

_“Oh, thank you, Miles.”_ He could practically hear his grandfather’s smile through the phone.

He pushed the device back into his pocket and turned back into the main room of the bar. Jean was leaning against the table, staring off into nothing and tapping his fingers along to the music.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” he said. “It’s my grandf-”

“It’s alright, Miles,” Jean promised. “I completely understand. Is there anything I can do?”

“No, no,” he dismissed. “I guess now we’re even today, so you’re forgiven for cancelling our plans earlier. But remember, if you keep skipping our workouts, you’re not going to be able to keep getting all those girls.”

Jean laughed at the jibes and insisted on at least settling their tab by himself. Miles waved goodbye as he stepped outside toward the street, intent on hailing a cab. Jean’s quick glance down at his phone went unnoticed.

He truly didn’t mind leaving. His grandfather didn’t have any other family to take care of him, and his caregivers weren’t familiar enough to help him feel comfortable when he got confused. He needed Miles, and Miles held family above anything else in his life. There would never be any complaints or refusals, no matter what accommodations it would require in his own life; he loved the old man with everything in him and no one could come between them.

* * *

Riza finally settled on the sofa, grateful that Hayate was curled up at her feet at the end of the day. She desperately needed a long break, but working for the government didn’t afford her much time off, even with Christmas coming up. It was hard enough working long hours alongside Roy and pretending she wasn’t in love with him, and the unexpected call from Sarah put her over the edge.

The Rockbells had always been kind neighbors, and babysitting Winry was a welcome opportunity to earn a little extra money when she was younger. Still, Riza hadn’t anticipated Sarah asking her for advice about young children losing their mother. It made sense considering she had personal experience with the tragedy and the Rockbells recently lost a family friend, but Riza just wasn’t prepared to think about it. She offered a few words of encouragement and promised to help in any way she could, then hung up. 

The cup of tea warmed her hands slightly as she took a relaxing breath. She would have Sunday to herself with no interruptions and was at least grateful for that. The stairs creaked behind her as Rebecca came downstairs, dressed suspiciously nice. Riza turned and tilted her head questioningly, but Rebecca avoided her gaze.

“Where are you off to?” she asked.

“I’m just meeting someone,” she answered quickly. “I should be back tonight.”

Riza sent her a skeptical look. “I won’t wait up.”

Rebecca huffed in exaggerated annoyance, but entered the room anyway to give Hayate a scratch and her friend a quick hug. “I can stay if you want me to. I know today was rough on you.”

“Oh I’m fine, don’t worry,” Riza insisted. “Go have fun with whoever you’re seeing. Is it that guy from earlier?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.”

Rebecca squeezed her hand lightly and promised to cook their dinner the next day before grabbing her keys and heading out. Riza watched out the window to make sure she got into her cab safe, then turned her attention back to her tea; it was a nice blend that her grandfather sent on her last birthday. It would have paired well with the shortbread biscuits her mother used to make, she thought suddenly.

A stray tear tracked down her cheek, quickly wiped away. She always missed her mother the most as December approached. 

The vibration on the side table distracted her again, and Riza silently begged for it not to be Sarah asking for more advice. She could pull herself together enough to be helpful any other time, just not now.

Riza picked up the phone slowly, her worries immediately gone as she read the short text.

Roy Mustang: _Thank you so much again for coming in today. Remember, lunch is on me sometime :)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, bittersweet as it is. This is basically the most angsty it will get, so there's lots more fluff. I was listening to the Glasgow Love Theme from Love Actually basically on repeat while writing this, and it definitely added a bittersweet/slightly melancholy edge. This chapter was much more about different kinds of love besides romantic, especially between friends and family, so I hope that came through :)
> 
> I'm also curious what any Love Actually fans think of the parallels so far. Hohenheim and Ed/Winry as Daniel and Sam/Joanna just made too much sense not to include, but Miles/Olivier as a modified Sarah/Karl was a little unexpected to me (I still like where it's going though!)
> 
> Thank you for reading and happy holidays!


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey Riza, do you have a moment?” Roy called. 

She looked up from her computer at the sound of his voice, seeing him leaning against the door to his office. The pose was a sorry attempt at seeming casual and cool, but she didn’t seem to notice. Riza placed a few spare papers into the folder on her desk and nodded.

“Sure,” she replied, already standing. “Is this about the policy files from earlier?”

Roy stepped aside to allow her in the room. “Actually, it’s a little more personal. I hope you don’t mind.”

Riza pushed the door closed behind her and eyed him curiously. “That depends, I guess.”

They settled into the opposite seats across from each other at his desk and Roy clasped his hands together. He really wasn’t sure how to start the conversation—it was one thing to discuss what she wanted in her future career, and it was an entirely different one to reveal his bid to become a Member of Parliament and ask her to support him.

“So,” he began, “you’ve been a great employee. I truly appreciate all the hard work and long hours you’ve put in the past few years. It’s honestly been life-saving.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “That means a lot to hear.”

“Well I mean it, you’ve been a huge help,” Roy continued. “But I know you probably don’t want to be an assistant forever. I wanted to know what you were interested in, further along in your career.”

That seemed to surprise her. Riza shifted slightly in her chair. “Honestly…I haven’t thought about it much, but I would be interested in getting a bit more involved with the political side of things.”

“Really?” Roy sat back slightly. That was promising.

“Sure,” she said. “I’m good at administrative tasks, but I think I could really contribute to policy discussions, public communications, that sort of thing.”

Roy contemplated that for a moment. He completely agreed that Riza would be perfect in all those areas. She had a mind for strategy and could read other people well. She was often his secret advisor in meetings, providing him with valuable observations and ideas. Her input would be invaluable on a political campaign, as well as in Parliament provided he won. The problem was, he didn’t want to tie her to him as his assistant forever. She deserved career advancement, recognition, _something_ beyond just him. It didn’t hurt that no longer being her boss would open up new, more personal possibilities if she wished.

His long pause had her shifting again and Riza sat forward. “If you don’t agree, I completely understand. I really like working here and-”

“Oh no, no, I agree,” he replied quickly. “I was just lost in thought for a moment there.”

They both waited a moment for the other to break the silence, but instead a notification from his phone interrupted them. Roy groaned, already knowing who it was.

“Family?” Riza guessed.

“My friend,” he answered. “He’s on his honeymoon and wants a framed picture waiting when they get back as a surprise for his wife. I keep telling him I don’t know which one to pick and he just tells me to choose.”

Riza’s eyebrow quirked in curiosity. “Do you have all the pictures now?”

“Yeah, the photographer sent a whole folder,” he said, gesturing to his computer next to him.

“Let’s have a look then.”

Riza stood and moved around the desk, leaning close over his shoulder. Roy froze for a moment, knowing that if he moved even slightly he would brush up against her. He slowly clicked on the tab to open up the pictures, revealing hundreds of joyous snapshots from the day.

“I’m assuming he wants a picture that’s just the two of them?” she asked.

Roy nodded and started scrolling down to find the section of photographs taken of the happy couple after the ceremony. Riza studied them carefully, noting that they had a variety of poses and expressions.

“How about that one?” She was pointing at a file that showed Maes and Gracia doubled over in laughter, looking only at each other.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit…silly?” Roy asked. He looked over his shoulder at her skeptically, drawing her gaze.

“Maybe,” she shrugged, “but they look the most in love in that one.” 

Roy tore his eyes away from her to examine the picture again. It was _very_ typical of Maes and Gracia. The image was almost dynamic in how they looked at each other and laughed, the complete story of their relationship was on display.

“You’re right,” he admitted, “as usual.”

Riza smiled, straightening and backing away slightly, overly conscious of how close she had been leaning in toward her boss. She returned to her seat, trying to recall exactly where their previous conversation left off.

“What made you want to ask about my future plans?” she questioned.

Roy sunk back further into his seat. There were many reasons, but the particularly selfish point that he would be able to ask her out on a date without acting inappropriately stuck out in his mind. 

Before he could answer, the door opened.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Olivier said. “Actually, I don’t really care as long as it wasn’t unprofessional.”

“I was having a perfectly professional meeting with Riza,” Roy insisted. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Olivier leaned against the door frame, managing to actually capture the relaxed and suave posture Roy had attempted earlier.

“I was just dropping these off, it’s lucky I caught you both at the same time.”

She held out two crisp envelopes, allowing Riza to take one before leaning forward slightly and gesturing for Roy to come get his. He reluctantly moved around his desk to grab the invitation and swiftly tore it open.

“A Christmas party?” he asked dryly.

“My family hosts one annually,” she explained. “Apparently Alex has a soft spot for you two, so I’ll see you there.”

Roy huffed, but was silenced by Riza soft words of gratitude. Olivier nodded simply, preparing to turn away when another figure caught her eye.

“Hey, Miles,” she called. 

The man in question was passing by with a coffee in his hand and halted so fast at the sound of his name that it almost spilled. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here, but I’m glad I did,” Olivier continued. “You’re invited as well.”

Roy and Riza watched from inside his office as Miles accepted the envelope and studied it briefly.

“I know you don’t celebrate Christmas, but that’s not a requirement to come,” she added. “It should be nice.”

Miles nodded slowly, finally looking up to meet her eyes. “I’ll definitely try to go.”

“Good.” With that, Olivier pushed herself off the doorframe effortlessly and disappeared from view. She didn’t bother to close the door behind her, leaving Roy and Riza in full view of the bullpen. 

Roy slunk back into his chair, frowning. “I wonder if anything is going on between those two,” he mused.

“Why do you say that?”

“There was all that tension,” he insisted. “And she wants to call me unprofessional…” 

“She isn’t his superior anymore,” Riza pointed out. “It wouldn’t be inappropriate to start any sort of relationship after he transferred.”

Roy’s ears almost perceptively perked up at her comment, but he reminded himself she was solely talking about Miles and Olivier. There was no reason for him to assume she thought about their own situation in a similar light. 

“Right,” he said abruptly. “Don’t we have a meeting with Bradley and Kimblee’s team soon? I should prepare for that.”

Riza sat still in slight shock as Roy started gathering papers and exiting his office swiftly. She followed behind hesitantly, wondering what set off his sudden motivation to leave.

_I shouldn’t have said anything about their relationship,_ she scolded herself, pausing at the door briefly. _Now he’s running away from me so fast he’s willing to go see Kimblee of all people._

* * *

Ed kicked a lone rock in the sidewalk as he made his way back home. Al had run ahead a few paces, looking for the stray cat he caught a glimpse of, leaving his brother and father alone for a moment.

“How was school today?” Hohenheim asked softly.

“Fine.”

“Did Mrs. Curtis like that history project you turned in?” he pressed. He wasn’t sure how else to get Ed to open up, other than testing which questions he would respond to.

“Yeah.”

Ed kicked the rock again once they caught up to its position, sending it further ahead toward his little brother. Hohenheim sighed, tucking his hands into his coat pocket and continuing on.

“Has something been bothering you, Ed?” he questioned, even softer than before. “You can tell me anything.”

That finally gave his son some pause. Ed was sometimes prone to sour and petulant moods, but his father hoped it had been wearing off as he grew older. He was still reluctant to look up, yet the defensive stiffness in his shoulders had disappeared. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he replied simply.

Hohenheim sighed as he stopped and turned to face his son directly. “If it’s something important, I need to know. If it’s about your mother…there’s actually someone you might be able to talk to about that. Not a therapist or anything, I know you don’t want that. But if it’s something at school, your grades, the other kids being mean, Alphonse…”

“It isn’t any of that,” Ed said, looking off to the side. Al was crouched over trying to pet the cat again, completely oblivious to the conversation. “Besides, there’s nothing you could do.”

“Even so, you should have someone to talk to,” Hohenheim insisted. He tilted his head expectantly, waiting for a response. 

“Fine,” he grumbled. “The truth is…well…”

He stopped again, still resolutely avoiding making eye contact. 

“I guess…the thing is…”

His face was growing red and his fists tightened in on themselves. His father slapped a hand against his own forehead and exhaled deeply.

“Come on, Ed, out with it.”

“ _Alright,_ fine. The thing that’s been bothering me is that actually…I’m in love,” he admitted quietly.

Hohenheim chuckled quietly, letting his hand fall from his forehead to his cheek. “You’re in love?”

“You don’t have to laugh, you know! I knew I shouldn’t have said anything, it’s stupid anyway,” Ed muttered.

“No, it’s not stupid,” his father corrected, still trying to quiet his laughter and maintain his serious demeanor. “So you’re in love?”

“Yes, I am,” Ed said slowly. “I still miss Mom more than anything, but I was already in love before and she even gave me some advice. But it doesn’t matter because it’s totally hopeless and no one else can ever know.”

“Why not?” he asked. “What’s so wrong with being in love?”

Ed looked up at him incredulously. “What _isn’t_ wrong with being in love? It’s terrible.”

Hohenheim stood to his full height again, laughing quietly and nodding. His son certainly had a point, one that he knew all too well. Not wanting to push too much, he gestured for them to keep walking. 

“Al, please get up off the ground,” he sighed as he looked over at his younger son. Al obliged, taking the cat with him in his arms as he stood. “And put down the poor animal.”

Their small family rejoined as a full group and continued making their way home from school. Ed didn’t talk much, content to look around at the sights in the city, kick a few more rocks, and listen to Al beg for a family pet. They turned toward their street and Hohenheim slowed his pace suddenly as his younger son ran ahead to get to the door first. Ed took notice and glanced at him warily.

“I won’t press too much if you really don’t want me to,” he began. “But I am curious who this person is that you’re in love with.”

Ed peered up at him. “You mean you don’t already know?”

Hohenheim smiled to himself and looked further down the street, toward the home of his old drinking buddy. “I have my suspicions, but it’s your choice whether to tell me.”

They made it to the stoop and Ed still hadn’t responded. His father spared another curious look down at him and saw the same avoidance as earlier.

“It’s funny,” he added. “I thought you and Al already fought over who would get to marry Winry, and _he_ won.”

Ed’s jaw dropped in offense and he immediately sprang to defend himself. “That wasn’t a fair fight! And she rejected him anyway!”

His father chuckled once more at his outbursts, suspicions confirmed. He looked down sympathetically, trying to make it clear there was no judgement or criticism.

“Well now that we have that out of the way, maybe it’s time to start figuring out how to woo this poor girl. If I could do it with your mother, anyone has a chance.”

* * *

Maria set her suitcase down in front of the small front desk, searching the small room for any sign of a receptionist. She gently rang the bell on the desk, hoping someone would emerge from the hallway or a side room to help her check in. The flight from Xing was tiring and she had been hoping to collapse on a fresh bed as soon as she arrived in Aerugo.

An older woman entered from a door behind Maria and smiled widely.

“ _Buonasera,_ welcome,” she greeted kindly. “Are you Maria Ross?”

“Yes,” she said, “I was hoping to check in and go straight to my room.”

“Of course,” the woman replied in heavily accented English. “My name is Anna, you can ask for me if you need anything.”

She moved behind the desk and made a few quick notes in what Maria assumed was the guest log that contained her reservation. Anna hummed softly to herself as she worked, exactly like the kind of person that loved their job. Once she was done, she looked up again with a smile and offered Maria a key.

“You can head upstairs now, I’ll call for someone to carry your luggage,” she offered, gesturing to the suitcase.

“Thank you so much,” Maria sighed.

“ _Certo,_ it is no problem,” she replied. “Did you travel from Xing?”

Maria looked down and realized the luggage tag from the airport was still sticking out. “Yes, I’m taking a long vacation.”

“Wonderful, we’re happy to have you!”

Maria nodded gratefully then clasped her key tightly, searching for the stairs. She noted the room number and realized she would be staying on the third floor of the bed and breakfast. It was lucky she didn’t have to carry everything up so many floors herself, but she also didn’t want to wait too long for the bellhop to deliver her possessions. 

Anna returned to the backroom she had been working in before, shutting the door harshly behind her.

“Denny!” she cried. “Where are you, we have a guest!”

“Sorry, Anna,” he called, appearing from behind a large stack of chairs. “I was just moving some things around back here.”

“Well put those muscles to work and get Miss Ross’ luggage,” Anna ordered. “She’s had a long trip from Xing and needs to rest.”

“Yes, _signora.”_

He entered the lobby, picking up the bags easily and heading toward the stairs. They creaked lightly under his weight as some dust was kicked up from the floorboards. He was eager to get the job done and get out of work early so he would have time to call his younger siblings. Moving to Aerugo for work had been an incredibly hard decision, but he enjoyed getting out on his own a bit, as long as he could still check in on his family.

Denny made it to the correct room and knocked gently on the door. He heard some movement from inside and took a step back to make sure he wouldn’t be smacked in the face by the door.

Instead, he was smacked in the face by the appearance of the young woman in front of him. She was about his height, but her round eyes had to glance up just a hair to get a good look at him, and he swore they widened slightly. She was beautiful. He offered his best smile as he held the bags out in front of him.

_“Ciao, signorina.”_

Maria nodded gratefully.

_“Sei di Xing?”_ he asked tentatively.

Maria frowned. She wasn’t sure exactly what he was asking, but she recalled Anna asking about her travels because of the luggage, so she assumed this young man was as well.

_“Si, di Xing,”_ she replied. She hesitated, not sure what else to do. She was never good around men she found attractive, but the man in front of her was an employee, just doing his job.

She was about to close the door to save herself from any embarrassment when she heard him speak a few words in broken Xingese. She squinted at him in confusion, and he repeated himself, slower with a few gestures.

Maria nodded in understanding as she realized he was asking about the room. She responded in Xingese that it was lovely, but saw a matching blank expression on his face, revealing he had no idea what she was saying.

_“Bene?”_ she guessed, hoping to convey that the room was nice. His smile and thumbs up gave her the reassurance that her message was received and they both stood at the doorway in silence again. 

After a few moments, Denny nodded politely and stepped away, only breaking eye contact when he had to turn away toward the stairs. Maria watched as he left, briefly deciding that maybe she wouldn’t go straight to bed—the bed and breakfast (and more accurately, its staff) warranted a bit more investigation.

* * *

Izumi tapped her food impatiently as she waited for the phone to pick up. A pile of student projects was sitting on the table next to her waiting to be graded, but it had been more than a week since she bothered her younger brother. That took priority.

She finally heard the call pick up and Roy’s voice mumble through the phone.

_“Hello?”_

“How are you doing, half-pint?” she greeted, a smile creeping onto her face at the thought of his own insulted expression.

_“I’m an adult, Izumi. I’ve been as tall as you for years.”_

“Still not taller, though,” she chuckled. “Maybe you would seem just a little taller if you would change that stupid haircut.”

She heard him sigh through the phone. _“Did you only call to bully me, or is there something you need?”_

“I just wanted to check in,” she began. Izumi’s fingers started to fiddle with the pen in her hand before she cautiously asked her question. “Did you hear from Maes yet?”

_“Yeah, he keeps bothering me about pictures and wedding stuff,”_ Roy groaned. _“I thought it would be over after they got married, but he’s only getting worse. I can’t imagine how bad it’ll be when…oh no, did they tell you already?”_

“Yes,” she answered shortly. “Gracia called me earlier.”

_“I’m so sorry, Izumi,”_ he immediately replied. _“I would have told them to wait on the announcement or something, I just forgot. Are you alright?”_

Izumi took a deep breath. “I couldn’t be happier for them, honestly. They’re going to be the best parents in the world. Maes and Gracia deserve this so much.”

She knew from the silence on the other side that Roy was trying to come up with the right words to say. He was always doing that. In her opinion, he shouldn’t worry so much. Her inability to conceive a child was still painful, but she had so many other wonderful aspects of her life to turn to.

_“Did you tell Sig?”_ he finally asked. _“He’s always the most supportive person to talk to, but I know you were avoiding the topic recently-”_

“I don’t need to bother with that right now, it’s completely fine,” she insisted. It suddenly felt like a terrible idea to mention the matter at all. “Besides, I didn’t call to just complain. How are things with you?”

_“It’s funny you mention it, I’m actually having a terrible day.”_

That gave Izumi pause. When it came to her brother, the only thing she loved more than teasing him was making sure he was genuinely okay.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

_“No need to panic, just work.”_

She felt her older sister instinct subside slightly. “Alright, then is it something to do with Bradley? Should I prepare for the country to fall apart?”

_“No, it’s actually just my department,”_ he reassured. _“The only thing that might fall apart a little is me.”_

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be alright,” she insisted. “You and your assistant are always on top of things.”

_“Yeah, about that…”_

“Hold on one second, Roy,” Izumi interrupted. She heard the front door opening and turned to see Sig’s smiling face looking over at her. It looked like he had a few more stains on his shirt from the long day at the butcher’s shop, but he sent her a wink and she smiled back. 

“Sorry, Sig just got home and I’ve got to go,” she apologized. “I think about talking to him a little later, happy?”

Roy muttered something in return and bid his goodbye before hanging up. Izumi briefly wondered what it was that he was going to say before she cut him off, but shrugged it off. If it was something important, she would find out one way or another.

* * *

“Oh my God, Maria, seriously? If he’s calling you ‘bella’ it means he’s calling you beautiful, not mixing up your name,” Rebecca groaned. She paused for a moment, listening to the woman speak on the other side of the phone. “You’re so hopeless. I can’t believe you’re fluent in Xingese and don’t know a word of Aerugonian.”

Riza shut the door behind her, catching a few more words of her friend’s conversation. She would have asked what had Rebecca so worked up, but she was honestly hoping to avoid any interaction at the moment. That didn’t seem to be in the cards, as Rebecca noticed her walking in and waved excitedly.

“I’ll call you again in a few days, and I expect updates on this hunk,” she spoke into the phone. “Alright, bye hon.”

She set her phone down on the counter and practically bounced over to her newly-returned flatmate with a conspiratorial smirk.

“You’ll never believe it—my friend Maria is on vacation and met this super hot guy, but he doesn’t know English,” she laughed. “They’ve talked a little bit but they can’t even understand each other. It’s just her luck, honestly.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty unfortunate,” Riza said with a forced chuckle. She turned away slightly to face the refrigerator and pretend to search for something to eat.

“Are you alright?” Rebecca asked immediately.

Riza sighed. She was caught.

“I’m fine,” she replied, steadying her voice. “I actually got some news today.”

She paused. Riza’s throat bobbed as she swallowed thickly. “It turns out I’m getting a new position, in a new department.”

“Like a promotion?!” Rebecca cried. “That’s awesome! You deserve it so much after all that work your boss puts your through. But I guess he’s your old boss now, right? This deserves some wine to celebrate.”

Riza listened as her friend rambled on, still turned away. She nodded in the hopes Rebecca wouldn’t notice her true reaction. Maybe she should want to celebrate, but the feeling of complete rejection sinking into her soul was overbearing.

“Yeah, I’ll actually be working more closely with the Prime Minister,” she added. “It’s not much of a pay raise, but it’s something.”

“I won’t complain about that!” Rebecca exclaimed. 

Riza heard a cork already popping behind her, so she grabbed two wine glasses for them. She closed the cabinet and hastily wiped away the stray tear forming in her eye. It was silly to think she would have had a chance with Roy while she was his assistant, but she didn’t think he would go so far as to transfer her away. 

That was the only explanation she could gather—he must have realized her feelings, and decided to ask about her career so he could find a new position away from him. The thing she truly couldn’t understand was why he would send her closer to Kimblee and Bradley, knowing how they both avoided the other men. If he was that desperate to be rid of her, she could only imagine how mortified he was at realizing her crush, much less how deep her emotions really ran. He probably thought it was the most polite and appropriate rejection, but that thought couldn’t sooth the hurt in her chest. She took another deep breath, trying to silence those thoughts.

“Let’s drink!” Riza announced with all the enthusiasm she could muster. 

She choked back the pained gasp that was building in the back of her throat, and finally turned around with a smile to celebrate with Rebecca.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a pretty big chapter, and I realized in my planning I may have made a mistake trying to fit all five scenes into this haha. But now, all the couples are introduced and things are starting to go down!
> 
> Unlike in the movie, I didn't think Roy would actually choose to transfer Riza away, so right now it's a misunderstanding with both of them thinking it was the other's choice. They're just going to be angsty for a little bit :(( I'm also sad we never got to see how Natalie handled/reacted to her job being changed in Love Actually because she's such a sweetheart and already loved David. 
> 
> With Ed and Hohenheim, it was tough to decide how to write them since their relationship is very different in canon. But since his father is actually present and trying to be helpful here, Ed is a little more willing to open up. I'm excited for the whole family to start scheming!
> 
> I also decided to alter the Jamie/Aurelia dynamic because there was no pairing that would really work where they spoke completely different languages. I figured the misunderstanding between Denny and Maria where neither realizes they both speak English (yet) is a little more realistic than actually falling in love with someone who you can't talk to and understand lol. Either way, it's a romcom so I hope you can suspend your disbelief a little bit for me!
> 
> If you've read this whole mess of a chapter and ranting author's note, thank you! Christmas is almost here, so have a merry one if you celebrate!


End file.
